Someone Save Me
by cellochick373
Summary: Brooke is attacked, but who will pick up the pieces and try to put her back together? My take on Season 6 premiere, it will be Breyton in time.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, my take on what happened after 6.1-- DON'T read if you dislike femslash, and there are SPOILERS!(Albeit sort of minor since it's A/U)

* * *

"This is my store, my life. This is what I wished for." The light flicked off, and the next thing Brooke knew there was someone in dark clothing rushing her, knocking her back through a display, and then only darkness and pain.

* * *

Shifting slightly, Brooke instantly groaned as she felt a bolt of pain rip through her body. Forcing her eyes open, she was greeted by a dim light and more stabs of pain in her head. Her head felt like it was splitting, she couldn't breathe properly without feeling like she was going to pass out from pain, and everything else hurt too much for words.

Looking around the store, Brooke felt like her heart was dying too as she surveyed the damage. Everything was smashed- broken, like her.

The previous night's events came flooding back, and Brooke felt tears making their way down her face at the memories. Clearly nobody was going to be looking for her anytime soon, and Brooke knew that she needed to see how badly she was really hurt.

Moving ever so slightly, Brooke gasped at the agonizing pain she suddenly found herself in. Trying not to breathe, Brooke inched her way over to the back room. Hauling herself up, she had to bite her cheek to keep from crying out in pain.

Her progress to the car was excruciating and slow, and when she finally got there Brooke collapsed onto the seat. Catching her breath, she drove at a snail's pace to the house she and Peyton shared.

Once inside, Brooke paused several times to regroup herself and let the pain subside while she made her way to the bathroom. Turning the hot water on in the bathtub, she lowered herself into it while still in her clothes.

Everything hurt, and it only got worse when the water touched her skin. Wincing, Brooke lay there, waiting for it to stop hurting so much. She continued laying there, unmoving, long after the water turned cold.

Finally forcing herself to get up, she was relieved to find that she could at least get out of the tub without nearly passing out from the pain. Sitting on the floor, she pulled her soaking wet, torn dress off and shivered as the cold air burned her skin.

Going to her room, Brooke put on the most minimal clothing she could find- black boy shorts and a light-weight cami. The thought of anything touching her right now was unbearable, and she planned on avoiding it at all costs.

Sinking onto the bed, Brooke exhaled slowly. Allowing her body to adjust to the new position, Brooke curled on her side. The tears she had been holding in threatened to fall then, but she forced them back.

_No. Not like this. I'm going to wake up from this nightmare any second now, and everything will be fine._

Closing her eyes, Brooke waited for sleep to come and take her away.

* * *

Peyton drove the familiar route home, unable to wait to share her good news with Brooke. Lucas had proposed to her, she had said yes, and now they were engaged. Just like that- poof! Engagement.

Pulling into the drive, she silently cheered when she saw Brooke's car on the street. _Good, she's home._

Walking into the house, Peyton called out, "Brooke? I'm home!" When she got no response, she dropped her bags on the floor and headed up the stairs.

_Huh. I cant believe Brooke stayed in on a Friday night... I was only gone for four days, right? _

Brooke's door was closed, and Peyton knocked loudly. Without waiting for an answer she went in, looking around for Brooke. It looked like she had been there recently, but Peyton couldn't actually see her. "Brooke?" she called, wondering where her friend was.

Unexpectedly she heard a small movement as she was about to go search elsewhere. "Brooke?" she asked again, getting a little nervous.

"Peyton? Is that you?"

The voice was tiny, and it took Peyton a second to hear it. Going to investigate, Peyton suddenly found herself reeling.

Brooke was hunched on the opposite side of the bed, which was why Peyton hadn't seen her to begin with. But more than that, Peyton was horrified to see her friend's condition.

Bruises littered Brooke's body, her skin mottled various shades of dark reds, browns, greens, and purples. There were long cuts running all over her body, and clear imprints from someones hand were emblazoned on Brooke's throat.

"Oh my god."

"Brooke," Peyton whispered, her voice breaking, "Brooke, what happened?"

Brooke looked away as though ashamed, but Peyton saw the pain in her eyes and instantly was right by her side. Reaching out to take Brooke's hand, Peyton was shocked when Brooke flinched away from her touch. Trying again, Peyton gently wrapped an arm around Brooke, pulling her close. Brooke's body was tensed all over, but she slowly relaxed and before Peyton realized it Brooke was crying silently into her chest.

"Oh Brooke," Peyton murmured, "It's going to be ok, I'm here now, I promise." Holding Brooke to her chest, Peyton stroked her hair and talked to her until the tears finally subsided.

Peyton slowly moved to help Brooke onto the bed, feeling like crying herself when she saw how much every move hurt Brooke. Once Brooke was on the bed Peyton laid down next to her and curled her own body around Brooke's. Mindful of the fact that Brooke was hurt, she allowed Brooke to move closer to her until she was comfortable.

Brooke ended with her head on Peyton's chest, Peyton's arms wrapped tightly around her. She wanted to sleep, but she was terrified that the nightmare's would come back. Brooke hadn't been able to sleep since she had woken up on the floor of the store without waking in a matter of minutes, screaming and drenched in sweat.

She had been awake when Peyton had knocked on the door and opened it, and she had panicked and flipped off the bed. It was only when she heard Peyton's voice that Brooke broke through the haze of terror surrounding her. Now, however, she didn't want to risk freaking Peyton out. _But god, I'm so tired..._

As though sensing her thoughts, Peyton tenderly stroked her hair and whispered, "Go to sleep, Brooke, I'll keep you safe." Looking up at Peyton, Brooke's eyes thanked her silently for knowing exactly what she needed.

Kissing the top of Brooke's head, Peyton waited until she heard Brooke's breathing even out into sleep before letting her own tears fall.

_How could this happen? Who would do this to her?_ _Why the hell didn't she call me? I would have been here in a second... God, I'm such a selfish, horrible friend. _

Eventually Peyton's tears slowed and she inhaled the scent of Brooke's hair to try to fully calm herself. Adjusting her position so that she was completely wrapped around Brooke, Peyton whispered into the air, "It's ok now Brooke, I'm here, and I swear I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

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Hmmm, first chapters are never my favorites...

I just wanted to write something about the season premiere, cuz i saw it yesterday and it made my head spin.

Oh well, im eagerly awaiting monday, and i apologize for the total lack of any romantic breyton in this chapter. If i continue, it WILL be there, along with the dissolution of Leyton! cheers

Review if you want, it's much appreciated!

cello


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, here's the update i promised, I'll have to see what happens in the next episode before continuing! Thanks to all who reviewed, it's much appreciated!

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Peyton lay in bed, watching Brooke as she slept. Deep circles lined her eyes, but she refused to fall asleep again. The first time, right after Brooke had gone to sleep, Peyton had allowed herself to drift off. She had been awakened a few minutes later by Brooke whimpering and moving restlessly.

Peyton had stroked Brooke's hair and held her until she calmed down, whispering soothing words to her. After that she had stayed awake, talking to Brooke every few minutes when her face would contort in fear and she would shy away from Peyton's touch.

It broke Peyton's heart to see Brooke like that, but even she would have been a bit hard pressed to explain why she suddenly felt like she never cared if Lucas showed up. At that moment in time, Peyton knew that she would drop Lucas in a second if it meant she could be here for Brooke.

The thought that Brooke meant more to her than Lucas didn't seem all that strange to Peyton since Brooke had always been her family. But still, it was the tiniest bit concerning since she was engaged to Lucas, not Brooke.

Brooke shifted next to Peyton, and she looked down, ready to comfort her once more. Instead, she was met with enormous, soulful hazel eyes gazing up at her.

"You're awake," she said, a hint of surprise coloring her voice. Brooke just nodded, watching Peyton and taking in her appearance.

Brooke instantly felt guilty as she realized that Peyton hadn't slept at all, and she pulled into herself slightly. _I only hurt other people... I don't know why she's even still here. I don't deserve her. _

Peyton noticed the change in the smaller girl's demeanor and asked quietly, "Brooke? What's wrong?"

Brooke shook her head at the other girl's concern and whispered, "Why are you still here, Peyton?"

Peyton looked down at her, shocked, and asked, "Don't you want me here?"

Brooke replied in a blank voice, "I don't deserve you, Peyton, all I ever do is hurt people. I don't want to hurt you too. It's probably best for you to go." Peyton stared down at Brooke, unable to comprehend what she was saying. She tried to pull her closer, but Brooke resisted.

Letting Brooke go, Peyton instead sidled her own body closer to Brooke's until they were right next to each other again and Brooke finally gave in and let Peyton wrap her arms around her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Brooke," Peyton said into her hair, "And nothing could ever hurt me more than seeing you hurting like this." Brooke burrowed into Peyton's side, deciding that she could stay in the safety of Peyton's arms forever.

They stayed like that for a time before Peyton finally broke the comfortable silence. "Do you feel up to eating anything?"

Brooke opened her eyes and thought about it for a second. "Actually that sounds amazing," she said. Peyton smiled, glad that she was making an effort.

"I'm going to go take a shower while you get food, actually," Brooke continued, causing a frown to appear on Peyton's face. "I'll be careful, don't worry, and the door will be unlocked," Brooke said, trying to ease Peyton's fears.

"Ok, Brooke, but let me help you there."

Much as she hated admitting she needed Peyton's help for something as simple as walking the twenty feet to the bathroom, Brooke knew that she would have a lot of trouble making it on her own.

Easing her legs over the side of the bed, she tried to stand and immediately inhaled sharply at the pain. Naturally, that made her ribs burn ferociously too, and Peyton gently eased her back into a sitting position.

"Ok, let's try that more slowly," Peyton said when Brooke felt like she could breathe again. Letting Peyton take some of the weight off of her injured leg, Brooke was able to slowly stand. The walk to the bathroom was slow and Peyton stopped often to make sure that Brooke was ok.

When they finally arrived, Peyton helped sit Brooke on the counter top, waiting to see if she needed anything else.

Brooke quietly said, "Thank you," and Peyton took it as her cue to leave. Turning before she was all the way out the door, Peyton looked sternly at Brooke and said, "And don't even think about locking the door, missy!"

Brooke rolled her eyes but nodded. The second Peyton was out of sight, Brooke got up and tugged the door closed. Making sure not to lock it, she still double checked that it was tightly shut before going and turning the shower on.

Once the water was hot, she started to take her cami and boy shorts off but quickly discovered that it hurt way too much. Sighing, she decided to just leave them on and have Peyton help her with them later.

Getting into the shower, she slowly slid down the wall and let the water cascade over her. With the warm water came more pain, but she could also feel her sore muscles loosening just a bit. Her thoughts wandered, and eventually landed on Peyton. 

_She's being so amazing…beyond amazing, actually. She's my whole world; I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to her. _

_I don't think I've told her that enough. If something like this happened and I wasn't so lucky, would she know how much she means to me? Would she know how much I love her? That I would die without her? _

_Wow. When I say it like that it makes it sound like I'm in love with her or something… but I can't be. She's my best friend, and of course I love her, but I'm not __in __love with her…am I? _

_Shit. This is so not good. Maybe I'm just sleep deprived and jumping to conclusions about what I'm feeling. _

_But…it would make sense. I mean, she is the only one who's ever been able to fix me, and I mean __really __fix me, and when I'm with her it's like all of my troubles just melt away. And I'm just realizing this. Way to go Brooke. _

_Now that she's most likely engaged to Lucas, now of all times, I decide to be smart and figure out what I'm feeling. I can't believe this. God. Sometimes I'm so unbelievably stupid… _

_But I won't be selfish and bitchy and horrible and ruin this for her. She deserves to be happy, and Lucas makes her happy, so I have no right to ruin that. _

_But honestly, could I not have seen this even one week ago? My P. Sawyer… huh. Too bad she's never going to feel the same way. Oh well, as long as she's happy, that's what matters, right? Or at least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. _

Brooke lost track of how long she had been sitting in the shower when she heard Peyton knocking loudly on the door. "Brooke? Brooke, are you ok? You've been in there for half an hour!"

When she didn't get a response, Peyton opened the door. Going over to the shower, she looked in and instantly her face was filled with concern for her friend.

"Brooke? Oh Brooke, honey, the water is freezing! You're shivering, come on, let's get you out of here." Helping Brooke get up, Peyton led her back to her room and sat her on the bed while she rummaged through Brooke's closet to find some comfortable clothes.

Finally settling for a baggy shirt and sweats, she went over to Brooke. Thinking about what she was doing for only a second, Peyton pushed any doubts aside and slipped Brooke's boy shorts off. Her heart constricted the second she saw the hand imprints on the insides of Brooke thighs, and she looked up at Brooke.

Her face was purposefully blank and devoid of emotion, but it didn't stop Peyton from seeing the unshed tears glistening in her eyes. Sliding the sweats on without another word, she turned her attention to the cami.

She got it over Brooke's head, but before she could put on the shirt her eyes were caught by the large bruises spreading across her ribcage. Peyton reached out a finger and gently brushed it across one of the bruises, only to jerk back when Brooke winced in pain.

Slipping the shirt on, Peyton carefully wrapped her arms around Brooke and pulled her into her body. Brooke was still shivering, and Peyton rubbed up and down her arms lightly to try and warm her up.

With Brooke on her lap, Peyton was able to feel exactly how frail and weak the other girl was, and the shivering felt like it was going to break her apart. Thankful when Brooke finally stopped shivering, Peyton just hugged Brooke to her and ran her fingers through her hair.

Brooke hadn't spoken since Peyton got her out of the shower, and now she tightened her grip on Peyton's arm and softly said, "Thank you, Peyton." Peyton's hands never stilled in their movements, but she looked at Brooke curiously.

"For what?" she asked, wanting to know the answer.

"For my life," Brooke slowly started, "For everything you've ever done for me. You've always been there to help me pick up the pieces and put them back together when I break, and you're pretty much all that's kept me going at times. You're the family I never had, and I just wanted to tell you thank you, so much, for everything."

Peyton didn't move for a second after Brooke stopped talking, but then she turned and cupped Brooke's face tenderly in her hands. "Brooke, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

Brooke sighed into Peyton's touch allowing her eyes to close at the feeling. "Nothing is wrong, Peyton, I was just doing some thinking, and… I realized I never thank you for all the sacrifices you make for me, and if something ever happened to me and I hadn't told you it would kill me."

Tears welled in Peyton's eyes at what Brooke was saying. "Brooke, you thank me plenty, and you've made more than your fair share of sacrifices for me too. There's no need for you to thank me, and I promise, I'm never going to let anyone hurt you like this again."

Kissing Brooke's forehead, she leaned back onto the pillows and opened her arms. "What do you say we forget the food for a bit and just lay here?"

Brooke couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face, and she cautiously lowered herself into Peyton's arms, making sure not to squish the other girl. Tracing small designs on Brooke's arms and sides, Peyton waited till her breathing was even to let her thoughts wander.

_Brooke doesn't deserve this… All she ever does is sacrifice her own happiness so that other people can be happy. So much for karma... she's like the most selfless person I know, and stuff like this still happens to her!  
_

_Just look at Lucas and what she did… she gave him up so that I could have him, even though it killed her at the time. I mean, for god's sake, she was getting married, and I sprung that on her. I can't believe I did that, but more than that, I can't believe she forgave me...twice. _

_And now, she makes me sound like some kind of saint! I don't know what I would do if she ever left me. Is that weird, for me to need her more than I need Lucas? I mean, she's just always been there, but now…it's like I can't live without her. _

_God, please don't tell me I'm feeling what I think I'm feeling…_

_I can't be in love with Brooke, she's my best friend, and she also happens to be a girl! But really, does that matter?? Not to me, at least, but I don't think she could ever feel the same. Damn. I couldn't have realized this before I said yes to Lucas? I hate myself sometimes- I just don't get how I could be so stupid! _

_Uuughhh. I'll work this out later, for now the important thing is that Brooke is safe and I'm here to protect her. That's all that really matters…right?_

* * *

Haha ok, let me know what you all think! Can't wait for the episode tomorrow, I'm unbelievably excited, and im sure you'll get to hear all about it!

cello


	3. AN

Ok, so I'll replace this with a chapter update soon, but I seriously felt the need to vent after the 6.2 episode.

URRRGGGGHHHHHH. I can't believe it.

Did Peyton seriously not realize that something was up with Brooke? I mean, COME ON!

It bugged me, a lot, and now Brooke is getting kinda shoved to the back since Q died, and I'm unbelievably upset.

Gosh. Words can't quite express my supreme frustration. Of all people, DEB was the one that Brooke ended up turning to, because stupid Peyton refused to acknowledge that something was wrong!! Assuming she even noticed….. But wow.

"I got tangled in some sheets and feel down the stairs, and I got bitch slapped by Lindsey. So now I have two black eyes and I can barely move I'm so sore." How could Peyton buy that?! Like twenty years of being friends and she couldn't tell something was up??

Ok. So I feel a bit better, still very deprived of any good Brooke scenes, but slightly better. I apologize for my little rant, but I just needed to get it off my chest. If you agree with me and feel like ranting back, please feel free to pm me so that you can review when i replace this with a chapter!

I'll update soon, and make it turn out how I think it should have!!

cello


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay for updates! Enjoy!**

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Brooke wiggled out of Peyton's arms, trying not to disturb the blonde. She was finally asleep, and Brooke wanted to keep it that way.

Sighing with relief when she was free and Peyton was still asleep, she limped down the stairs. Something in her had changed when Peyton had been talking to her, and she felt more complete, somehow, like a missing piece had been put back into place.

So she had realized that she was in love with her best friend, who happened to be engaged. So what?

Grimacing as she tried to take a step too fast, Brooke slowed and leaned up against the wall. Once the pain subsided, she continued on to the kitchen.

Grabbing a loaf of bread, she put a couple slices in the toaster and sat down on a chair to wait for it to be ready. Musing about what had happened over the past 24 hours, Brooke internally cringed when she remembered the look on Peyton's face when she saw the bruising.

Brooke didn't know if Peyton was entirely sure what had happened, but somehow she knew that Peyton knew and was just giving her time. 

_I owe her at least an explanation of what happened…after everything she's done, she still hasn't asked me or forced me to tell her anything about what happened. She has no clue, and yet still cares. What did I do to deserve someone as amazing as her?_

The toaster dinged, and Brooke shuffled over and put the toast onto a plate. Taking it, she set the toast on a plate before heading back up the stairs.

It was ten times harder going back up, but when she reached the top Brooke felt a sense of accomplishment. She knew it was something minor, but it still made her feel a bit better to know she could take care of herself without Peyton having to do everything. That train of thought caused a small frown to appear on Brooke's face as she went back into Peyton's room.

_She's got to be engaged to Lucas, so that means she's going to be leaving me soon. _The frown didn't move as Brooke climbed back into bed with the plate. The thought of being alone, without Peyton, was suddenly very real and very terrifying.

Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, Brooke allowed herself to smile as Peyton slowly woke up.

"Brooke?" Peyton asked, worried when she felt that her arms were empty. It just didn't feel right without Brooke there, and she sat up and looked around. Relieved when she saw Brooke perched on the edge of the bed smiling at her, she eyed the toast and asked, "Where did that come from?"

Brooke full out grinned at that as she proudly stated, "I made it!"

Smiling at Brooke's enthusiasm, Peyton moved closer. "Want to share?"

"With you?" Brooke wrinkled her nose as though she found the idea repulsive. "Well…I guess I could give you some…"

Peyton almost smacked Brooke's arm but caught herself at the last second, realizing that even if Brooke was acting more like her old self she was still injured. Settling for a scoff, Peyton leaned closer and closer to Brooke's face.

"You know you will," she whispered, no more than a centimeter from Brooke's face.

_Oh lord, she is wayyy to close for comfort_ Brooke thought. "And why is that?" she managed to squeak back, trying to ignore Peyton's warm breath blowing on her face.

"Because…you love me!" Peyton squealed as she snatched a piece of toast and jumped off the bed. 

_God, what was I thinking? I came so close to kissing her just then…that would have been fun to explain. And I'm engaged to Lucas, for god's sake, I can't be doing this!_

Brooke pouted at Peyton, wishing she was better so she could tackle the blonde. "I'm going to get you back for that, Blondie!" Peyton just smirked, hearing the empty threat.

Cautiously going back over to the bed, she sat down and relaxed only when she was sure that Brooke wasn't going to attack. The second that Peyton relaxed Brooke grabbed her and started tickling her.

Peyton squealed in surprise and then laughter, yelling, "Brooke, cut it out!" Brooke just grinned down at her and continued moving her fingers gracefully up and down Peyton's sides. Finally, when she decided that Peyton had been punished enough, she let Peyton get up and just sat there smiling innocently.

"You know you deserved it," she said with a smirk.

Laughing, Peyton mumbled under her breath, but she scooted closer to Brooke and wrapped an arm around her. Brooke snuggled into her side, happy to be there with Peyton.

At that moment, Peyton realized that she felt something she never had with Lucas- complete. Through all the years, not once had there ever been a sense of comfort this great with him. Sure, there were moments that came close, but there was always something in the way.

With Brooke, Peyton could just be herself and know that no matter what Brooke would always love her. Brooke was the one who did that for her, not Lucas, and Peyton mentally made a note to go shoot herself later for not realizing it.

Looking down at the girl in her arms, Peyton felt a swell of love, and she couldn't stop herself when Brooke looked up to meet her gaze.

Impulsively, Peyton leaned down and pressed her lips gently to Brooke's. There was a split second of shock before Brooke realized that she wasn't dreaming, but then her mind caught up with her body and she began to respond. Slowly deepening the kiss, Brooke forced herself to pull back when she realized what was happening.

Looking at Peyton in confusion, she tried to figure out what her friend was thinking. When Peyton opened her eyes, she found Brooke staring at her open mouthed in confusion.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, looking away quickly. Brooke grabbed her hand as she stood to leave and said, "Wait."

Turning back to Brooke, Peyton couldn't hide the hope in her eyes and it killed Brooke to see it. "Peyton, what was that?" she asked, needing to know if this was just something Peyton had felt like doing without thinking of the consequences.

Looking anywhere but at Brooke, Peyton said, "I don't know, I'm sorry, it just happened, and…I'm sorry."

Gingerly standing, Brooke forced herself to ignore the pain and pull Peyton to her in a close hug. "It's ok, Peyton, you have nothing to be sorry for," she whispered into blonde locks. Tears coursed down Peyton's face. She didn't know what had made her do it, it had just felt right.

Now, though, the emotions flooding through her were completely overwhelming.

Peyton couldn't fathom how right it had felt to have her lips pressed to Brooke's, how perfect she had felt for those few brief seconds.

But then, a certain blonde-haired boy kept popping into her head, and with him came a debilitating sense of guilt. Less than three days ago she had been agreeing to marry him and now she had just kissed someone else.

What was worse, in her mind, was the fact that the person she had just kissed meant more to her than her fiancée ever could. What was worse was that she knew that he had nothing on Brooke, and no matter what he did he never would. The idea that she was going to marry someone that she didn't truly love and never would was terrifying, and she clung to the safety and support that Brooke guaranteed.

Brooke ran her fingers through Peyton's hair soothingly until the tears stopped, ignoring how standing for so long had made it painful for her to even breathe. Every part of her body was screaming at her to sit down, but she forced herself to remain standing until Peyton was ready to move.

When Peyton pulled away, however, Brooke suddenly found herself with no support and her legs buckled. Peyton barely caught her body as it sagged to the floor, silently cursing herself for forgetting that Brooke was hurt.

Helping Brooke up to a sitting position on the bed, Peyton was instantly concerned at the pained look on Brooke's face and the way she was trying to breathe shallowly.

"Brooke? Should I call a doctor?"

Brooke shook her head, trying to get enough oxygen to speak. "No, I'm fine, it just…it just hurts," she gasped out.

Taking Brooke's hands in hers, Peyton said, "Brooke, I need you to look at me. Focus on me, Brooke, because if you don't I swear to god I'm going to call 911 this second."

Peyton's words broke through the haze of pain and darkness that was clouding Brooke's mind, and she forced herself to look up at Peyton. The look on Peyton's face instantly made some of the pain dissipate.

Stroking the side of Brooke's face with her hand, Peyton whispered, "Come on, Brooke, it's ok. Just breathe for me, ok?" Brooke managed to nod, and allowed her eyes to close as she worked to get the pain to subside. Ever so slowly, the feeling of Peyton holding her hand and stroking her face became more prominent than the ache of her body, and she gradually relaxed her tense muscles. Relief spread through Peyton's body as she saw Brooke's face relax. 

_How could I have been so stupidly selfish? _

Peyton wondered once more why Brooke put up with her, and was startled out of her thoughts by a gentle hand tugging a strand of her hair. Looking up, she saw Brooke with an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry," she said quietly.

Peyton shook her head vehemently. "No, don't be. That was entirely my fault. If I had been paying attention, if I had taken the time to remember, once again, that the world doesn't revolve around me-"

Brooke cut her off with a chaste kiss placed on her lips. Peyton blinked in surprise, completely at a loss for words.

Brooke smiled a little at her reaction. "First of all, don't blame yourself. Second, when have you ever thought that the world revolved around you?"

Still at a loss for words after the kiss, Peyton stuttered for an answer and finally just sat there staring at Brooke.

Smiling, Brooke lay back on the bed and breathed out heavily. Crawling up next to her, Peyton leaned over Brooke's body and studied Brooke's face intently. Seeing only love in Brooke's eyes, she leaned closer and was about to touch her lips to Brooke's when Brooke suddenly moved from under her as though burned.

Confused, Peyton looked at Brooke questioningly. Brooke's eyes were pained and all she said was, "Lucas."

Peyton instantly felt the weight of guilt settle down on her again as she thought about what she had been about to do. Looking back at Brooke, she felt even worse upon seeing the self-loathing on Brooke's face.

"I can't believe I forgot," she muttered, "How could I be so stupid? How could I let myself do that?"

Going to Brooke, Peyton cautiously touched her leg. When Brooke didn't jerk away, Peyton slowly said, "It's ok, Brooke, you didn't do anything wrong."

Looking at Peyton with tear-filled eyes, Brooke laughed harshly. "I knew you were _engaged_ Peyton, and I still kissed you. How is that not wrong?" Groaning Brooke rested her pounding head in her hands and closed her eyes.

"Brooke," Peyton started softly, "Brooke, look at me, please." The tone of Peyton's voice caught Brooke's attention and she slowly lifted her head to chance a look at Peyton.

"I want you, Brooke. I don't care about Lucas; I'll break up with him now on the phone if you want me to."

Staring at Peyton now, Brooke said, "No. Don't do that."

Thinking she had heard wrong, Peyton looked at Brooke for a long moment. "You want me to stay with Lucas?" Peyton asked in disbelief.

Brooke shook her head. "No I don't _want_ you to, but if you're just going to end up leaving me for him later then yes. I can't get hurt again, Peyton, not now. So please, if you have any doubts just stay with him before this goes any further."

The total vulnerability of Brooke's words shook Peyton. Remembering the times that she had promised to never hurt Brooke again before turning around and stabbing her in the back floated to the surface of her mind and she cringed internally.

But then, through the cloud of bad memories, Peyton remembered the few seconds earlier in the day when she had felt Brooke complete her in a way that Lucas never could. Remembering that, Peyton knew without a doubt that she would never again do something to hurt Brooke.

Taking Brooke's bruised face gently in her hands, Peyton forcefully said, "I will never hurt you again, Brooke Davis. I'm done with Lucas; I'm done with the confusion. I have you, and I am never leaving you, I promise. I love you, Brooke; I love you and no one else."

The declaration stunned Brooke into temporary silence. Finally she said, "You would do that for me? You would give up your perfect life with Lucas for me?"

Peyton nodded and moved closer to Brooke on the bed.

"Are you sure Peyton? Are you sure I'm what you want? I'm so broken, what if I'm never fixed, never good enough for you?"

Peyton nodded once more with absolute certainty. When doubt remained in Brooke's eyes, Peyton pulled her into a gentle bear hug and said, "You are everything I could ever want, Brooke, and I promise I will fix you. I'll fix _this._"

Brooke melted into Peyton's arms, feeling completely safe. As she drifted off to sleep, she murmured, "Just promise me something, Peyton."

"Anything," Peyton whispered, tracing careful designs on Brooke's arms.

"Don't break up with him on the phone, ok? He deserves better than that."

Stunned once more by Brooke's compassion, Peyton said, "Ok, Brooke."

"I love you, Peyton."

"I love you too, Brooke, more than anything."

Listening to Brooke's breathing even out into sleep, Peyton thanked whatever greater something was out there that she was getting her chance at happiness.

* * *

Muahaha sorry it took so long to update the dang thing, i totally hit a roadblock.

Reviews are appreciated, i'll see if i get any good ideas from tomorrows episode-which i might miss..Eek!

Anyways, thanks for reading!

-cello


	5. Chapter 5

Update! Yay! Sorry it's taken me so long, i think my one-week thing went out the window! *blushes* Oh well, here it is!

Lucas drove fast towards Tree Hill. Since finding the note that Peyton had left for him, he had been pacing the room and twidling his thumbs for two days. Now, on the third day, he found he couldn't wait any longer to find out what had caused Peyton to leave so suddenly. Everything had been going perfectly for him, and he intended to make sure that it continued to do so.

Sighing with relief as he passed the "Welcome to Tree Hill" sign, Lucas pressed the gas pedal a little harder in an attempt to get to Peyton that much quicker.

When he finally arrived at Peyton's, he fairly cried with relief, and immediately ran up the drive and knocked on the door. When nobody answered he frowned for a moment, but then his eyes cleared. Peyton must be out. Yes, that was it. She was out shopping with Brooke, and he could see her when she got home.

Sighing with disappointment this time, he walked slowly back to his car and decided to drop by and say hello to Haley while he was in the area.

Meanwhile inside, Peyton was laying in bed watching Brooke sleep, completely wrapped up in Brooke and her thoughts and oblivious to the knocking at the front door. Brooke looked so peaceful while she slept, as though she didn't have a care in the world, and Peyton found herself wondering for the billionth time who could ever hurt her.

_And not only that, but if I'm right about the bruises on her legs that I saw, she might really need to go to a doctor._

Deciding to talk to Brooke about it when she woke up, Peyton pulled the other girl's body to her more firmly. Brooke murmured in her sleep and turned in Peyton's arms, burying her face in the blonde's chest.

"How long was I out?" came the muffled question.

Stroking Brooke's hair Peyton said, "Not too long, maybe an hour or so."

Brooke groaned and said, "Do I have to get up, Pey?"

"No, you rest for as long as you want," Peyton replied with a small smile, but then she sighed. _I guess now's as good a time as any._ "But I was thinking, Brooke... Maybe we should go to see a doctor."

The second the words were out of her mouth Peyton could feel the girl in her arms tense, but thankfully she didn't pull away completely. In her heart, Brooke knew that Peyton was just trying to look out for her, but the thought of having to be touched by anyone except the blonde at this point made her feel like being sick.

"I'm–I'm not sure I can, Peyton," she finally whispered. The older girl felt her heart constrict when she heard the fear in Brooke's voice, and she gently moved one hand to intertwine her fingers with the brunette's.

"I know, sweetie, but I'll be there with you the whole time, I promise."

Brooke inhaled Peyton's scent and softly said, "Ok." She knew that Peyton was worried, and honestly she was a little worried herself.

The pain had subsided a little bit, but it had been almost three days now since the attack and Brooke knew that she hadn't made nearly as much progress as she probably should have if everything was going to heal on its own. She was brought back to the present by Peyton talking again.

"Do you think you're up to going later today, Brooke?" Brooke nodded, just wanting to get it over with. Peyton squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her, and Brooke turned her face upward towards Peyton to give her a tiny smile.

She wanted so much to kiss Brooke at that point, but Peyton knew that Brooke would probably hear none of it until she broke up with Lucas, so she settled for placing a lingering kiss on her forehead instead. Brooke's eyes closed at the touch, and she felt slightly less alone knowing that Peyton would protect her.

The drive to the clinic had been spent in silence, with Peyton glancing over at Brooke every few seconds to make sure that she was still ok. The brunette hadn't said a word and was just staring out the window. Reaching across the seat, Peyton took her hand in her own, and was rewarded when Brooke turned to her and gave her a weak smile.

"You ok?" Peyton asked quietly, already knowing the answer. Brooke shook her head no, but said, "It's just...I'm scared."

"It'll be alright, Brooke, I'm not going to let anything bad happen," Peyton replied, wishing she could do more. They pulled up to the tiny hospital and Peyton helped Brooke gingerly exit the car and go up the walkway.

Peyton hadn't wanted to risk taking the other girl to the local Tree Hill hospital in case someone there recognized her, so she had driven to the next small middle-of-nowhere town that had a hospital. Going through the doors to the ER, Peyton felt Brooke trying to get even closer to her, and she pulled Brooke into her side and whispered, "It's ok, Brooke, we'll be out of here before you know it, nobody here is going to hurt you."

A nurse had approached them to ask what the problem was, but when she saw Brooke she instantly adopted a brisk, business like tone and said, "I'll page the doctor immediately."

A few seconds later a large man came bursting through the doors that led to the rest of the hospital and his eyes locked on Brooke and Peyton. Going over, he could tell instantly that someone had tried hard to hurt the poor girl in front of him, and he approached them more slowly.

Nonetheless, Brooke shrunk back from the very sight of him, and he stopped at the look Peyton was giving him. Brooke looked at Peyton, her eyes pleading with her to not let him be the one who would touch her and see her so vulnerable. Peyton understood what Brooke was asking instantly, and she walked the remaining few feet to where the doctor was still standing.

"I'm sorry, but is there any way at all that we could have a female doctor? Please?"

The blonde girl's voice was practically begging him, and the doctor decided to do what she was asking. He nodded, saying, "Of course. I'll go find one." The look that he gave Peyton before leaving was one filled with sympathy, and also intense worry.

A few moments later a medium-height red-head came through the doors. Seeing the two girls still standing there, she approached them calmly. She looked at the brunette in front of her carefully, assessing the bruising that was clearly visible on her face.

"Follow me, please," she said, leading them to an exam room down the hall. Within a few minutes, Brooke had been stripped down to her boyshorts and bra, and the doctor felt like killing someone at the sight in front of her.

The blonde, who had introduced herself as Peyton, had haltingly explained at least part of what happened, but the doctor felt that there was something she was leaving out. Deciding to save her last question for later, she began her examination.

Noting the hand prints emblazoned on the poor girl's throat and arms, she continued downward until she got to the ribcage. It was massively swollen and colored various shades of dark red, brown, and purple. Touching it lightly, she heard a gasp and looked up at the girl. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line and it was clear she was trying not to cry. Sighing, the doctor continued down and assessed the rest of the damage.

Finally she stood and said, "Ok, we need to x-ray the ribs to make sure that none of them splintered and punctured any internal organs. Brooke, Karly is going to take you for the x-rays, and Peyton, do you mind staying here for a few minutes to fill out the forms?"

Shooting a panicked look at Peyton, Brooke's eyes widened at the thought of being alone in the hospital. Looking at the doctor, Peyton said, "I'm sorry, is it ok if I go down to get the x-rays with Brooke?"

Looking between the two the doctor nodded and said, "Sure, but you won't be able to go in the actual room due to the radiation. Brooke will be able to see you the whole time, though."

Smiling thankfully at the doctor, Peyton started down the hallway with Brooke and was directed into a room where she would be able to watch. Startling briefly when the doctor, came in behind her, Peyton turned.

"I'm sorry, Peyton, but I need to ask you a quick question."

The look in the doctor's eyes told Peyton what was coming, and she answered before the doctor could even ask. "Yes. I think she was raped." Tears burned her eyes at the words, and she saw sympathy in the doctor's eyes as well.

"Ok, we'll need to do an examination after the x-rays, then." Peyton just nodded, not trusting her voice. She turned to watch as Brooke entered the x-ray room and the nurse helped her lay down.

It took a few minutes before Brooke was helped back up, and Peyton went back into the hallway to meet her, dreading what she knew was coming next. Finally Brooke came out into the hallway, having acquired a wheelchair since going into the x-ray room.

Peyton knelt down next to Brooke, and felt like crying when Brooke asked, "Can we go now, Peyton? I don't know how much longer I can stand this."

"Actually, Brooke, the doctor needs to do one last examination." The catch in Peyton's voice instantly tipped Brooke off, and tears welled in her eyes before she blinked them back.

The nurse began wheeling Brooke to the exam room and had her in the stirrups before Peyton could even think about catching up. Brooke grabbed for Peyton's hand as the doctor walked in and moved so that she was facing Brooke.

"I'm going to be as gentle as I can, but this is still going to hurt, ok? I need you to trust me that I'm not going to hurt you," the doctor said, waiting for Brooke to nod her consent.

Once she got the nod, she began the examination. Peyton could tell that Brooke was hanging on to her hand for dear life, her eyes squeezed tightly closed and her bottom lip pulled between her teeth.

The entire thing took only a matter of minutes, but by the end Peyton could no longer feel her hand, Brooke could taste blood from biting her lip so hard, and she was pretty sure that the pain of reopened wounds was even worse than the original infliction. Looking down at Brooke, Peyton was certain that she had never seen anyone so pale in her life, and she watched her with concern.

The doctor helped Brooke out of the stirrups, and she moved until she was standing shakily next to Peyton again.

Clearing her throat, the doctor said, "It appears that there was a great deal of tearing, and that a sharp implement of some sort might have been used at one point, but luckily it didn't puncture anything. I've patched everything up as best I can, the rest will have to heal on its own over time. Also, the x-rays came back on your ribs and it appears that 4 of them are broken. We'll wrap them for you here and show you how, since I'm assuming that you aren't going to want to stay here for observation until they heal. You will have to be confined to a wheelchair or have someone help you until they heal fully, however, otherwise you might overstress them and either cause new breaks or for them to shift and cause internal bleeding. I'll go get a wheelchair and wait for you back in the clinic while you get dressed again."

So saying, the doctor left, leaving Peyton and Brooke alone on the room. The second she was gone Brooke was on the floor sobbing with Peyton cradling her. Peyton's tears mingled with Brooke's as they cascaded down her face.

_Oh my god, a sharp implement? What did he __do__ to her? What did she have to go through alone, without anyone to save her?_

After several long minutes, Brooke turned in Peyton's arms, nuzzling into her neck. Leaning her head against Brooke's, Peyton whispered, "God, I'm so sorry, Brooke, I'm so sorry I wasn't there to save you. I'm so sorry for making you come here, I'm sorry for making you go through this, I'm sorry for everything."

"It's ok," Brooke whispered, her voice barely audible, "It's not your fault. And I can't even blame you for making me come here, because I would have done the exact same thing if our positions were switched."

Holding Brooke tenderly to her, Peyton tried to convince herself that it would be ok, because Brooke was alright and the bastard that had done this to her was long gone. As she felt the shaking girl in her arms, though, Peyton knew that everything _wouldn't_ be ok, because everything had been changed the second the first punch had landed on Brooke's face, and the second she had first been violated.

Gradually Brooke's breathing slowed, and she murmured into Peyton's neck once more. "God, Peyton, I don't know what I would do without you. I'm so lost, but somehow, every time I'm around you it's like I've found my way again. I honestly don't know how I'll ever survive if one day you aren't there anymore."

Lifting Brooke's chin gently with a finger, Peyton captured her lips in a kiss that was so full of love, and compassion, and empathy that Brooke thought she had never felt so loved as in that moment. Breaking away slowly, Peyton lovingly brushed a loose lock of brunette hair away from Brooke's face and softly said, "I love you, Brooke, and I will always be here to help you find your way when you're lost."

Not caring about Lucas for once, just knowing that she needed Peyton, Brooke leaned back up to brush her lips against Peyton's one last time before carefully standing. Peyton stood next to her, and helped her walk out to the lobby.

The doctor had long since left to go see to other patients, but a gentle nurse with a kind smile showed Peyton how to wrap Brooke's ribs, gave her some pain medication, and brought out a wheelchair for Brooke. "Thank you," Peyton said, wishing that they could have had this nurse instead of the aloof doctor for the examination.

"You're welcome; I wrote my name and number on the paper in the bag, so please call me anytime you need anything." With a gentle squeeze to Peyton's shoulder the nurse was gone, leaving her to wheel Brooke out to the car.

Once everything was settled in the car, Peyton began the long drive back home.

_I don't care how long it takes; I'm going to stick this out with Brooke. No matter how long the road to recovery, I'm going to be there every step of the way. _

Sighing as she looked over at the now-sleeping Brooke, Peyton felt a small smile working its way onto her face.

_I'm going to be there for her, because I love her._

So there you have it, reviews are appreciated!

Next chap there's prolly going to be lots of pucas, cuz i have to get him out of the way somehow, right??

-cello_  
_


	6. Chapter 6

Heaving a sigh, Peyton sat down at the kitchen table. Brooke had fallen asleep upstairs and the blonde had disentangled herself from the smaller girl's arms so that she could go make some soup.

A knock at the door jolted her to attention, and Peyton warily walked towards the front entrance. Peeking through the shades, Peyton felt her heart drop as she saw the mop of blonde hair in front of her. Opening the door slowly, she said, "Hey, Luke."

The man in front of her grinned and moved to kiss her. Turning her head so that he only kissed her cheek, Peyton took a deep breath and steeled herself for the coming conversation. Confused, Lucas said, "What was that?"

Not meeting his eyes, Peyton said, "There's something I have to tell you, Luke." Stepping outside and onto the porch, Peyton closed the door behind her to try and spare Brooke from being woken by what was almost certain to be a loud and unpleasant conversation.

"Lucas...I can't marry you."

The look on Lucas's face was a mingling of shock and disbelief. "You're kidding, right? I mean, come on, Peyton, you said yes! Not even three days ago, you were head over heels in love with me."

Shaking her head, Peyton said quietly, "I'm sorry, Lucas. I just realized that it wouldn't be fair to you to go through with this if I didn't love you that much. Don't get me wrong, Luke, I love you, I really do, but I don't think it's enough to keep a marriage together."

Tears sprang to the Lucas's eyes as he realized what Peyton was saying. "You don't really mean that, Peyton." She nodded that she did, and the grief turned suddenly to suspicion and anger.

"There's someone else, isn't there?"

Mouth open, Peyton stared at him and said, "Why would you say something like that, Luke?"

Running names through his mind, he said, "Is it Jake? Skills? Who the hell is it, Peyton?" Shaking her head, she said, "It's not them, Luke. This is about us, not anyone else."

Staring past Peyton at the closed door, Lucas said, "Oh my god. He's here now, isn't he, Peyton? You're here _sleeping_ with some guy while you're engaged to me. That's great, Peyton, really great." Trying to block the door, Peyton was taken aback when Lucas shoved her out of the way and went through the door.

Following him, she tried to stop him from going upstairs. "Don't do this, Luke. Please, just let this go." Shaking her off, Lucas threw open the bedroom door and walked in. Seeing the shape under the covers, he grabbed the covers and pulled them back.

Grabbing the person's arm, he yelled, "Get the hell out of..." but the yell died on his lips at the cry of pain and as he saw who was in the bed. Peyton was suddenly between the two as she rounded on Lucas. "Get away from her, Luke, she's done nothing to hurt you."

Not noticing Brooke's appearance, he turned to look at Peyton. "You've got to be kidding me. Brooke? Really?" His laugh bordered on hysterical as he looked between the two. Peyton turned her back to Lucas and reached for Brooke's hand.

The brunette had a wild, terrified look in her eyes, and Peyton said quietly, "Get out of here, Lucas." Moving towards Peyton, Lucas jumped back in surprise when she yelled, "Now!"

Turning on his heel, Lucas muttered, "I can't deal with this. I can't believe you're sleeping with her. That you two..." Not bothering to finish his sentence, Lucas stormed out of the room. Not bothering to follow him, Peyton slowly wrapped her arms around Brooke and tried to soothe her.

The brunette gradually calmed, and she said, "I'm sorry, Peyton. I didn't mean to hurt you and Lucas this badly."

Peyton shook her head and murmured, "Don't worry about it. I didn't think he would take it this hard, though...and if I had any idea that he was coming in the first place I would have given you some warning. He didn't hurt you, did he?" Brooke sighed. "Just another bruise, I think."

Anger flared in Peyton as she thought about Lucas hurting Brooke. "I'm going to kill him," she whispered. Brooke touched Peyton's arm gently and said, "Don't, Peyton. He was upset, and I honestly don't think he meant to. Give him a couple days to come around and see if he apologizes. If he does, let it go. If not, then you have my permission to go kick his ass."

Smiling at the brunette's words, Peyton sighed. "Fine, I'll do it your way. As long as you're sure you're ok..." Waving the blonde's concern off, Brooke said, "I'm fine, Peyton. It's not like I haven't been through worse."

Wincing as she realized how that must have sounded to the other girl, she opened her mouth to take back what she had said, but Brooke stopped when she saw the small smile on Peyton's face. "Don't worry about it, Brooke." Nodding, Brooke let herself relax back onto the bed.

The pain meds from the doctor had helped considerably, and Brooke almost found herself wishing she had gone there to begin with. Peyton laid down next to Brooke and grinned as a sudden thought popped into her head.

"So Brooke... now that Lucas and I are officially broken up..."

The blonde trailed off and looked up at the other girl, batting her eyelashes. Smirking, Brooke answered the girl's question by leaning over and kissing her. Laughing as she finally pulled back, Peyton said, "Wonderful. Glad we got that cleared up. But just to make sure that there aren't any future misunderstandings...." She kissed Brooke again and when they broke apart she said, "I'm allowed to do that whenever I want, right?"

Brooke nodded vehemently.

"And...I'm allowed to do this whenever I want?" So saying, Peyton dragged a fingertip across the bottom of the brunette's stomach, careful not to press or hurt her. Brooke's eyes closed and she gasped out, "Yes, Peyton, you can do that _whenever _you want."

Grinning again, Peyton said, "Good, because I can't do it anymore now since the doctor said very clearly 'no strenuous activity'. Guess I'll have to wait on that one."

Pouting, Brooke kissed Peyton lightly and snuggled close to her. Letting her thoughts wander, the brunette kept coming back to Lucas's reaction to her and Peyton being together.

_God, I hope the rest of our friends don't do that too. They haven't seen me since the attack, I don't think Lucas even noticed so they won't find out about that through him. The rest of it, though.... I'm not sure what I'll do if they hate me for this, for breaking Peyton and Lucas apart._

"What if they hate me, Pey?"

Confused, Peyton said, "What?" Sitting up halfway, Brooke looked at the blonde and said, "All of our other friends. I mean, Haley loves Lucas like a brother, and Nathan _is_ his brother. And Jamie, and Mouth, and Skills...what if they hate me for this? For splitting you and Lucas apart and hurting him? What if they hate me for being with you?"

Sighing, Peyton said, "Brooke, honey, if they hate you for splitting me and Lucas apart then their anger will be completely misplaced. I played an equal part too, you know. And as far as hurting Lucas... if I recall correctly you were the one who wouldn't even let me kiss you once you thought of him, plus he hurt you too."

Running her fingers lightly over the new bruise on Brooke's arm, Peyton shook her head, still unable to believe that Lucas would want to hurt Brooke. "If they have a problem with you being with me, then they're wrong again, because it's not you and me or me and you, it's _us_. If they're really our friends and care about us, then they'll respect that."

Smiling at Peyton's words, Brooke still couldn't quite shake the knot in her stomach. "Still, Peyt, nobody but you knows I was even attacked. I'm pretty sure Luke was too busy with you to notice today, and I haven't been out of the house other than to go to the hospital. Maybe...maybe it's time to tell other people."

Watching the smaller girl carefully, Peyton said, "Are you sure?" The brunette shook her head, but said, "I have to do it sometime. I can't hide here forever with you, much as I might like to. I would rather tell them now than have them find out somehow later."

Peyton nodded and said, "Ok, Brooke, it's your decision. Do you want me to call Haley?" Brooke nodded and Peyton grabbed her phone and dialed the familiar number. Haley answered after four rings.

"_Peyton? Is that you?"_

"Yeah, Hales. Sorry I haven't called in a couple days, I was actually wondering if you want to come over and catch up tomorrow?"

_"Sure, Peyton! I'd love to. Oh by the way, have you seen Brooke? I haven't been able to get ahold of her, and I'm worried about her." _

Glancing over at Brooke, Peyton said slowly, "Yeah, actually she'll be there tomorrow too."

_"Oh great, I've just been so scared that something had happened to her, and then she wasn't answering her cell or the house phone, so it'll be good to see her."_

"Yeah...do you think you can make it here around, say, 9'ish?"

_"Yeah, sounds perfect. I'll see you then, can't wait to hear about what you've been up to for the past couple of days!" _

"Ok, I'll see you then Hales, bye." Sighing as she heard the click on the other end, Peyton said, "Ok, Brooke, Haley said she would love to come by tomorrow. Apparently she's been worried about you."

Reaching for Peyton's hand, Brooke pulled her back onto the bed and said, "Well, in that case I think I need to get some beauty rest. Be my teddy bear?"

Groaning, Peyton nonetheless wrapped an arm around Brooke and burrowed close to her under the covers. "You're just lucky you're cute," she grumbled, not meaning a word of it.

Loving the feeling of being in Peyton's arms, Brooke said, "Know what, Pey? I think my regular teddy bear might be out of a job."

**A/N: Haha. Update. Yay.**

**Sorry for the wait, although in my defense I did post five breyton oneshots(which you should read and review if you haven't already! )**

**Same as with Broken, it's a bit thrown together, but any time I write pucas it usually is...I can't bring myself to care much about writing scenes with him**

**Reviews are love! **


	7. Chapter 7

So Sorry for the wait!

* * *

Haley stood outside Peyton's house, not wanting to knock on the door. Not ten minutes after she had talked to Peyton, Lucas had shown up on her doorstep, completely distraught. All Haley could get out of him was that Peyton had broken up with him, and that there was someone else. The protectiveness instantly kicked in, and

Haley stayed up half the night with Lucas while he cried and told her what an asshole he was for not seeing it sooner. Surprisingly enough, Haley couldn't detect any real anger towards whoever Peyton had cheated on him with, but he refused to tell her who it was. Every time she tried to worm it out of him, he just shook his head, refusing even to look at her.

She had left him at her house with Nathan and Jamie a little before nine, and now she couldn't make her hand move. Curious as she was about what had happened and why Lucas wouldn't tell her who it was, as well as why he was so closed-up about it, the brunette finally rang the doorbell and waited.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, and Haley found herself being hugged by Peyton. "Thanks for coming, Hales," she said. Looking around behind Peyton and not seeing any sign of Brooke, Haley asked, "So where is she?"

Closing the door behind Haley, Peyton turned her around and said, "Haley..." the tone of the blonde's voice tipped Haley off and she asked, "What? What's wrong?" Peyton opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again in an effort to think of how to tell Haley what had happened to Brooke.

Concern filled Haley's face, and she brushed past Peyton quickly before the blonde had a chance to grab her arm. She saw Brooke sitting on the couch, and called, "Brooke?" The brunette turned, and Haley gasped as she saw the bruises covering the other girl's face. Rushing to her side, she asked, "Brooke, oh my god, what happened?"

Reaching out to take the other girl's hand, Haley grasped it even when Brooke shied away the tiniest bit, holding on tightly. Peyton came in, walking quickly, and saw the two. "Brooke, I'm sorry, I didn't get a chance to tell her..." Peyton trailed off as she saw Brooke give a small shake of her head. Nodding, she turned to leave the two alone.

Turning her attention back to the other girl, Brooke took a breath in the sudden silence and said quietly, "Haley, I was attacked in my store a few days ago."

"Oh Brooke, why didn't you call me? I would have been there in a heartbeat, you know that," Haley whispered, stroking the side of Brooke's face. The brunette shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, Hales, I was just so lost and confused and hurt....I didn't want you to see me like that."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Haley simply pulled Brooke to her in a tight hug. Pulling back, she scanned the brunette to try and get an idea of the full damage. Wincing as she saw the print around Brooke's throat, her eyes caught the large bruise that looked much more recent than the others around Brooke's arm. Reaching out and lightly running a finger over it, she asked, "What happened here?"

"Lucas." The response came from behind Haley, and she turned to see Peyton standing behind her, suddenly looking worried. Haley frowned slightly, not able to comprehend why Lucas would grab Brooke so hard, and when he would have seen her so recently.... And it hit her. "It was Brooke."

It was more statement than question, but Haley still couldn't quite believe it when Peyton nodded. "I'm sure he told you already, when he came by yesterday I told him it was over, but he barged in and grabbed Brooke before he realized who it was. He figured it out pretty quickly after that." Haley shook her head slowly, not sure what to make of what she was being told.

Tugging on Haley's hand to get her attention, Brooke said, "Hales, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to be hurt like this. I didn't want him to find out like this either, but it was like I couldn't say anything. When he grabbed me on the bed, it was like..." Her voice trailed off, and Haley focused back on Brooke and what she was saying.

Looking away and blinking back tears, Brooke refused to meet Haley's eyes, so she turned back to face Peyton. When Haley saw the tears in the blonde's eyes, her frown grew, and she knew what Brooke must have been thinking about. Squeezing Brooke's hand, Haley said, "Brooke...."

Turning back to face the other girl, Brooke said, "It's ok, Haley, I understand if you can't get past the fact that I hurt Lucas like that-" Cutting Brooke off, Haley said, "I'll get past that eventually. Right now, I'm more concerned about you." Looking at Haley in surprise, Brooke opened her mouth and closed it, unable to find the words she wanted.

Haley hugged the brunette again, and Brooke couldn't help but smile a little at the flicker of jealousy she saw on Peyton's face. Mouthing "Later," she hugged Haley back and let herself relax. She had been so worried that Haley would hate her, and here she was hugging her instead.

Peyton sat down on the other side of Brooke, and the brunette leaned against her immediately, grateful for her presence. "So, are you ok...with this, I mean?" Peyton asked, gesturing between her and Brooke. Smiling a little, Haley said, "With what? I don't see any difference between this and what you guys were like before....you two have always been way closer than most people. I personally would have been a little worried to ever leave you two alone if I was Lucas."

Grinning as Peyton's mouth dropped open, Haley said, "But seriously, I'm just glad that you had _someone_ you thought you could trust, Brooke. Much as I hate that you thought I would judge you, or do anything but try and help, I'll get over myself as long as I know that you have Peyton to take care of you." Brooke sighed in relief at Haley's words, letting her eyes drift closed as she leaned against Peyton.

After several quiet minutes, the brunette's breathing evened out into sleep, and Peyton gently laid her down on the couch as she got up. Haley followed her to the kitchen and softly asked, "What happened to her Peyton?" Tears sprang to the blonde's eyes, but she brushed them away and said, "She was attacked, Haley. Someone went into her store and beat her to within an inch of her life, and..." she trailed off and looked away.

"Peyton? What?" Her voice lower than a whisper, Peyton said, "He did things to her, Hales, I don't even know exactly what, but I know it was bad...the doctor said...the doctor said that there was evidence of a sharp implement being used." Peyton looked up at the sharp intake of breath from Haley and saw the smaller girl with tears running down her face.

"How did this happen?" the brunette whispered, "Why would anyone do that to her?" Peyton just shook her head, still not sure of the answer herself. Haley sat down heavily in the chair, wiping her eyes as she shook her head. "She didn't deserve this, Peyt, this shouldn't have happened to her."

The blonde nodded but said, "It did, though, Hales, and all I know now is that I love her and she's going to need all of her friends to be there for her."

Haley nodded, saying, "I'll talk to Nathan and everyone, but I honestly don't see there being anything but support for you guys."

"But Luke..." Haley cut Peyton off and said, "He'll get over it, Peyton, and in a day or two he's going to feel horrible about all of this, and then when he finds out about Brooke he's going to feel like the biggest ass in the world. Don't worry, he'll come around, and if her doesn't I'll just have to talk some sense into him." A small smile appeared on Peyton's face at Haley's words, and she said, "Thanks Hales."

Studying the blonde in front of her, the brunette quietly asked, "How are you?" Peyton shrugged, "I'm fine, really. This is just....hard. But I'm fine." Shaking her head, Haley said, "No, Peyton, I can tell you're not fine. Don't blow me off like that, not when it's so completely obvious that you're anything but fine."

Looking down and then back up at Haley, Peyton finally whispered, "I'm scared, Hales. I'm scared that I won't be able to help her through this, that no matter what I do it won't be enough. I'm scared that this happened at all, but more than that I'm scared that something like this would happen to her and she wouldn't call me." At the questioning look on the other girl's face, the blonde said, "She didn't call. I found her when I came home. She said that she didn't want to bother me when she knew I was happy with Lucas..."

The look on the blonde's face almost broke Haley's heart, and she said, "First of all, I know for a fact that you're the only one in the world that can fix her, and I also happen to know that you're the only one she would even let try. Second, you _did_ find her and help her, and even if she didn't call, you somehow still managed to find her and try to make everything bad go away. It doesn't matter anyways, because the way you two look at each other will always be enough to fix things."

Unable to help herself, Peyton reached down and hugged the brunette hard, whispering, "Thank you." Haley squeezed the blonde back before standing and saying, "Come on. We better head back in there before she wakes up and yells at us for letting her fall asleep."

Smiling, Peyton nodded and they went back to the couch, sitting down. Not thirty seconds after they sat down, Brooke shifted and groaned. Sitting up, she brushed the hair out of her eyes and said sleepily, "How long was I out?" Looking down at her fondly, Peyton said, "Not long."

Glancing between the two, Haley smiled to herself and said, "I have to leave and go pick up Jamie from school, but I'm really glad you're ok Brooke." Brooke nodded and hugged the smaller girl fiercely for a minute and whispered something Peyton couldn't hear before releasing her and shooing her towards the door. "Go on now, don't be late to pick my godson up!"

Peyton walked Haley to the door and hugged her as well. Pulling back, the brunette said, "Call if you need anything, or if Brooke needs anything too, ok? I mean it- if I found out that there was something I could have done and you didn't tell me, there's going to be hell to pay for you, missy!"

Peyton smiled and watched Haley as she got in the car, waving till she was out of sight down the road. Heading back to the living room, she saw Brooke sitting on the couch, holding her knees to her chest, a pensive look on her face. Sitting down next to her, Peyton asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Brooke started and looked at the blonde. "Sorry, I didn't even notice you sit down. I guess I just got lost in my thoughts." Peyton opened her mouth and closed it. If the brunette didn't want to talk about it, she wasn't going to make her. Sighing and leaning back against the blonde, Brooke said, "But really, I was just thinking about how amazing everyone is being. I mean, you haven't left my side since you came, and Haley was beyond supportive, and I just...I wonder, sometimes, what you guys see in me that's worth this amount of effort."

Not having expected such an honest response, Peyton wrapped an arm around the brunette's middle and with the other grasped a smaller hand in her own. "We see an amazing, selfless, person, Brooke. We see an unbelievably resilient woman who has overcome too many obstacles in her life that she should never have had to face, and that she didn't deserve. And I see the person I love. That alone is worth all the effort in the world and more- you know that all of us would go to the end of the earth and back for you, Brooke."

Squeezing Peyton's hand, Brooke said, "Thank you for not giving up on me Pey."

Kissing the brunette's head, the blonde said, "Never."

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Well then... yay for crazy late updates? ha. not really. but i'll try to post sooner in the future, promise! As always, reviews are love!


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